1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of hydrocarbon exploration, drilling and production. More particularly, the invention relates to subsurface systems employing fiber optic conductors, connectors and instrumentation and protection required and desirable for the same.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, the use of fiber optic technology has grown in many industries. The benefits of using fiber optics where electric conductors were used previously has greatly improved communications in both the quality of information transmitted and received, and the speed of communication. Unfortunately however, many of the benefits of fiber optic technology have not heretofore been available to the hydrocarbon exploration, drilling and production industry due to the extremely unfavorable conditions downhole. These, of course, are high pressure, high temperature, vibration, caustic fluids, etc. All of these conditions collectively and individually are significantly deleterious to delicate optic fibers and would cause very early failures requiring workovers in production wells if employed as they have been in other industries. Because of this, the incorporation of optic fibers downhole, in all but the most limited of circumstances, has been contraindicated. Due to the technological benefits of fiber optic usage, the industry is in need of a way to deploy and employ fiber optics reliably in the downhole environment.
The above-identified drawbacks of the prior art are overcome, or alleviated, by the fiber optic protection system of the invention.
Fiber optic conductors, connectors, instrumentation, sensors and associated control circuitry (hydraulic/electrical/optical), etc. are now employable in the downhole environment in connection with the invention disclosed herein. The protection system insulates fiber optic technology from the unfavorable conditions existing downhole so that such technology may be reliably employed, thus allowing the subsurface portion of the hydrocarbon industry to reap the benefit of fiber optic technology. Optical fibers allow greater accuracy and speed of determining information downhole. Decisions are faster made and adjustments in different zones may be executed quicker to enhance production of desired fluids while retarding production of undesirable fluids.
The scope of the invention also includes the routing of surface supplied power (hydraulic/electrical/optical) through a protected environment to the downhole fiber optic components to selectively supply said power to any number of a multitude of downhole tools, as desired.